How Much Does Shopify Take From Sales? Shopify Fees Explained

Quick intro — what this post helps you do

Running an online store means knowing exactly how much of each sale you keep. Shopify charges several kinds of fees that affect your margins — monthly plan fees, payment processing fees, and sometimes extra transaction fees. This article breaks those costs down so you can make smarter pricing, plan, and payment-gateway decisions.

What you’ll learn - The Shopify plans and their core costs. - How payment processing and transaction fees work. - A simple formula and example to calculate total fees per sale. - Practical ways to reduce the fees you pay.

Shopify plans and the baseline costs

Shopify charges a monthly subscription plus fees on each sale. The core plans covered here (prices shown as Shopify lists them in the referenced source) are: - Basic Shopify — $39/month - Shopify — $105/month - Advanced Shopify — $399/month

Each plan gives different features (reporting, staff accounts, shipping discounts) and a different fee structure for payments. Pick the plan that matches your sales volume and feature needs, not just the lowest price.

Payment processing vs. transaction fees — what’s the difference

There are two fee types to understand: - Payment processing fees: Charged by the payment processor (Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe, etc.) on each transaction. If you use Shopify Payments (Shopify’s built-in processor), you only pay this fee. - Shopify transaction fees: Charged by Shopify only if you use a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments. This is on top of whatever the gateway charges.

Typical Shopify processing rates (when using Shopify Payments): - Basic: 2.9% + $0.30 per online sale - Shopify: 2.6% + $0.30 per online sale - Advanced: 2.4% + $0.30 per online sale

Shopify’s extra transaction fee if you use a third-party gateway: - Basic: 2.0% per sale - Shopify: 1.0% per sale - Advanced: 0.5% per sale

Note: In-person (POS) rates are usually lower.

How to calculate total fees — a simple formula and example

Use this order of operations: 1. Start with your sale amount (A). 2. Subtract the payment processor fee (percentage * A + fixed fee). 3. If you use a third-party gateway, subtract Shopify’s transaction percentage * A. 4. Any additional platform or app fees come after.

Example 1 — Shopify Payments on Basic - Sale = $100 - Processing fee = 2.9% of $100 + $0.30 = $2.90 + $0.30 = $3.20 - Total fees = $3.20 → You keep $96.80

Example 2 — PayPal (or other gateway) on Basic - Assume PayPal charges the same processing fee ($3.20 for simplicity) - Shopify transaction fee = 2.0% of $100 = $2.00 - Total fees = $3.20 + $2.00 = $5.20 → You keep $94.80

That extra percentage from Shopify adds up fast on higher volume or higher-price transactions.

Practical ways to reduce what Shopify takes

Small business owners can lower fees in several practical ways: - Use Shopify Payments when available — it removes Shopify’s extra transaction fee. - Move to a higher plan only when your margins and volume justify the monthly cost — larger plans reduce the transaction percentage. - Offer alternative payment options for large orders (bank transfer, invoice) where appropriate. - Build fees into your pricing or add a small service charge (check local rules on surcharging). - Negotiate fees with your payment processor if your volume is high. - Use Shopify POS for in-person sales to get lower processing rates.

Other costs to watch (these silently eat margin)

Transaction fees aren’t the only line items: - Paid apps and premium themes - Shipping label costs and carrier fees - Chargebacks and fraud protection services - Currency conversion and international card fees

Always calculate your average fee per order including these extras so you price products to stay profitable.

Where to read more and get help

If you want a deeper walkthrough with examples and resources, check the full breakdown at https://prateeksha.com/blog/shopify-fees-how-much-does-shopify-take-from-sales. For more posts on running better sites and improving conversions, visit https://prateeksha.com/blog. If you’d like help auditing your store or optimizing fees and checkout, see services and contact options at https://prateeksha.com.

Conclusion — next steps for your store

Start by checking your current payment setup: are you on Shopify Payments or a third-party gateway? Calculate your average fee per order using the examples above and decide whether changing plans or payment processors will increase your take-home revenue.

If you want to optimize your site and checkout to protect margins, consider a quick audit or consult someone who helps stores with pricing and payments. Small changes to plan choice and payment processing can meaningfully boost your profit per sale.